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Are the "best foreign films" @ Oscars usually the best movies of the year?

  • 02-08-2011 9:42pm
    #1
    sxt
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,760 ✭✭✭


    Just looking at 2009 nominees for "best foreign film" awards

    “Ajami” Israel
    “The Milk of Sorrow (La Teta Asustada)” Peru
    “A Prophet (Un Prophète)” France
    “The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)” Argentina
    “The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band)” Germany

    I have only seen the last three films in this category "“A Prophet" ,"the Secret in Their Eyes" "The White Ribbon", but these films in my opinion will be viewed in 20 years times as classics and I think they are astronomically better than "ava$tar" and the "Hurt locker" :confused: The latter two movies that were fighting out for "best picture"..

    Has this always been the case in years gone by, or just that year?


Comments

  • #2
    Sad Professor
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,698 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sad Professor


    The Best Foreign Film category at the Oscars is actually a bit of a joke. Countries have juries that decide which film is submitted and they can only submit one. So films like Talk to Her and Let the Right One In weren't nominated because they weren't even submitted by their respective countries.


  • #3
    johnny_ultimate
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 30,114 CMod ✭✭✭✭johnny_ultimate


    The Oscars are more to award English language cinema, hence foreign cinema relegated to a single category.

    As for whether it represents the cream of the crop? There is the possibility more interesting films will sneak in, but they rarely win. Like all categories, the safest and most conservative bet will usually win. The Counterfeiters was very undeserving of the award IMO, and while I like the Secret In Their Eyes I personally don't feel it was more deserving than the more ambitious and inventive A Prophet and White Ribbon. This years winner is only in cinemas this month, but I hate it already because Dogtooth lost to it :p


  • #4
    Sad Professor
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,698 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sad Professor


    johnny_ultimate wrote: »
    This years winner is only in cinemas this month, but I hate it already because Dogtooth lost to it :p
    In a Better World? I like Bier so I'm actually looking forward to that. But it does seem like it was a rather safe choice. Which reminds me I really need to watch Dogtooth.


  • #5
    johnny_ultimate
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 30,114 CMod ✭✭✭✭johnny_ultimate


    Oh I'm sure it will be good but Id be extremely surprised if it had the imagination, character or satirical depth of Dogtooth (do watch it, it's superb!). I just still feel burned by The Counterfeiters, which I felt was an appallingly bland film. Academy living up to their old Holocaust bias again!


  • #6
    kraggy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,414 ✭✭✭kraggy


    johnny_ultimate wrote: »
    The Oscars are more to award English language cinema, hence foreign cinema relegated to a single category.

    As for whether it represents the cream of the crop? There is the possibility more interesting films will sneak in, but they rarely win. Like all categories, the safest and most conservative bet will usually win. The Counterfeiters was very undeserving of the award IMO, and while I like the Secret In Their Eyes I personally don't feel it was more deserving than the more ambitious and inventive A Prophet and White Ribbon. This years winner is only in cinemas this month, but I hate it already because Dogtooth lost to it :p

    Dogtooth was the film of the year for me.

    Outstanding piece of work. I challenge anyone to suggest another film like it. There isn't one.


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  • #7
    stevenmu
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,689 Mod ✭✭✭✭stevenmu


    johnny_ultimate wrote: »
    The Oscars are more to award English language cinema, hence foreign cinema relegated to a single category.
    Nitpicking a little, but they're more to award American film industry cinema.


  • #8
    johnny_ultimate
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 30,114 CMod ✭✭✭✭johnny_ultimate


    stevenmu wrote: »
    Nitpicking a little, but they're more to award American film industry cinema.

    I was actually going to say that, but then I thought that given the success of so many British (perhaps American funded, but predominantly British!) films there's definitely a bit more leeway towards English language cinema. Once or My Left Foot would be other examples. It's the rare non-English language film that enjoys multiple Oscar nominations!


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